Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	ghost_n	holy_a	water_n	5,471	5	6.7004	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10024	Sins overthrow: or, A godly and learned treatise of mortification Wherein is excellently handled; first, the generall doctrine of mortification: and then particularly, how to mortifie fornication. Vncleannes. Evill concupiscence. Inordinate affection. and, covetousnes. All being the substance of severall sermons upon Colos. III. V. Mortifie therefore your members, &c. Delivered by that late faithfull preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Three godly and learned treatises. Selections. aut	1633 (1633)	STC 20275; ESTC S115103	166,961	286

forceably there resist them with greater strength keepe the banke good repaire it by new renewals of thy graces in thee make new covenants against it There is no man with one thousand would meet his enemy with two thousand so doe thou get as much strength to resist as thy lusts have power to attempt thee Seventhly Turne your delights to God and heavenly things whereas you have long beene given to earthly mindednesse now beginne to set your minde on heavenly things There is no true Mortification that is onely privative it must be also positive a man cannot leave his earthly mindednesse but he must presently be heavenly minded To make this plaine by a comparison A man cannot empty a vessell of water but ayre presently will come in its place so a man can no sooner be cleansed from corruption but grace will immediately enter and take possession of his heart as Salomon saith Prov. 2. 10 11. Wisdome entreth into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soule Descretion shall preserve thee understanding shall keepe thee c. Lastly the last and greatest help will be to labor by prayer God would have thee know that it is his gift pray therefore that Christ would baptize thee with the Holy Ghost and with fire that the Holy Ghost may like fire heat the faculties of the soule to inflame our love to God for as our love to God is stronger so our love to holy things will be more earnest and consequently our hate to unholy things more strong and perfect the heart thus inflamed is turned quite another way it doth so mollifie the heart more and more making it capable of a deeper impression from the love of God Hence it is that the Spirit is compared to wine because as wine heateth us within and maketh us more vigorous and lively so doth the Spirit heat us with the love of God and make us more apt to good workes Now as when a man comes nigh to any towne he goes further from another so when the Spirit carries us nigh to God it carries us further from our lusts Christ by the Prophet is said Mal. 3. 2. to be like a refiners fire and like Fullers sope Now as there is no way to refine silver but by fire and no way to purge and get out a staine but by sope so there is no way to cleanse ones selfe from lusts to mortifie them but by the Spirit take ye therefore the Apostles counsell Act. 4. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost let us wait for it and we shall be sure to have it and when we once have got it we shall finde as evident a change as the Apostles did when the Holy Ghost in the forme of cloven tongues came upon them as ye may read in the same chapter And therefore also when we finde weakenesse in our hearts let us know that wee have not beene so fully baptized with the Holy Ghost as we may be according to that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the Spirit of feare but of power c. when the Spirit is powerfull ● us it will inflame us with the love of God it keeps men in sobriety Therefore art thou weake art thou cold in holy performances labour to bee baptised with the Holy Ghost more fully Iohn was compassed about with the Spirit as with a garment Rev. 1. 10. So should we be for without this we are but naked God kept Abimeleech from sin so he will keepe us if we have his Spirit And David was bound in the bond of the Spirit now the Spirit is like a bond for two causes first every bond must be without us and so is Gods Spirit it is his and not ours within us secondly every bond keeps the thing that is bound in and so doth Gods Spirit it restraines us it keeps us in when as otherwise wee would runne into all excesse of riot And therefore let us pray heartily and labour earnestly to be baptized with the Holy Ghost HOW TO MORTIFIE UNCLEANNES COLOSSIANS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Fornication Vncleannesse Inordinate affection evill Concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry HAving handled the Doctrine of Mortification in generall as also come to some particulars namely that of Fornication it now remaineth that in the next place following the method and order of the Apostle I come to the next particular sinne named in the Text Vncleannesse And because these two sinnes doe in many things coincidere and differ not greatly in any thing that I can set downe as meanes to prevent them for what hath beene said of the one may serve for the other therefore I shall be the briefer in this and may p●rchance make use of some of the things spoken formerly in the discovering of the haynousnesse of Fornication The Doctrine then that we shall at this time insist on is That Vncleannesse is one of the sinnes that are here to be mortified This sinne of Uncleannesse most Interpreters make to be the sinne of Onan Gen. 38. 9. and the haynousnesse thereof appeares in that God was so displeased with him for it that he slew him presently Besides the grievousnesse thereof is is manifest in that throughout the whole booke of God wee finde not any name appropriated unto it as if God could not give name bad enough or would not vouchsafe it any because men should not know it at all But now particularly I will lay open the vilenesse of it by these foure arguments First the haynousnesse of it appeares because that it makes a man that is guilty of it a man of death you may see it in the example of Onan Gen. 38. 9. before mentioned God cut him off presently hardly gave any space for repentance Where sudden judgement lights upon a man it is a fearefull thing and argues the greatnesse of Gods displeasure against that sinne now where Gods wrath is so exceedingly inflam'd against a sinne we must needs conclude that sinne to bee very sinfull and of an high nature Secondly it is an unnaturall sinne All sinne is so much the more haynous as it is opposite to the nature of a man Wee read but of three sinnes against nature whereof this is one namely bestiality Sodomy and this and therefore it must needs be of an high ranke and consequently a most notorious vilde sinne Thirdly the manner of it aggravates it exceedingly all things done against ones selfe are the more hainous as selfe-murther is of an higher nature than murther of another and the reason is because all creatures by nature seeke the preservation of themselves in like manner selfe-uncleannesse is a great aggravation unto it Fourthly and lastly that sinne which is made the punishment of another is ever

a man good or bad Iob was called a perfect man because hee feared God and blessed is the man that delights in God and all things worke together for good to them that love God It is the common phrase of Scripture to judge of man by his affections when his love is right his feare is right and his sorrow right therefore looke to thy affections which are the motions of thy will so as the affections are so is the man if mens actions are weighed by their affections in other Arts indeed the worke commends the Artificer but here though the action be good yet it is not good except the affections be good because the will commands the whole man so the goodnesse or badnesse of a man are seene in the affections The third reason is because inordinate affection makes much for Satan to take possession of the soule therefore it stands you upon to keepe them right and straight Ephes. 4. 20. Be angry but sinne not that is if anger exceed its measure it opens a way for Satan to come in and take place in the soule The example of Saul 1 Sam. 18. 10. will illustrate this when the women sang Sauls thousand and Davids ten thousand the Text saith Saul was exceeding wroth and after that time had an eye upon David that made way for Satan he was exceeding wroth and the next morning Satan the evill spirit came upon him so that you see strong affections open the doore for Satan Iudas when the affections came to the height the divell entred into him He was angry at the expence of the ointment upon Iesus feet and upon that he harboured the first conceit of betraying him 14 Marke 4 compared with the 10. Witches you know exceed in malice and this makes way for the divell to possesse them and so worldly sorrow if it come to the height it exposeth the heart to be possessed by Satan so by strange lusts Satan slides into the hearts of men and they see it not and therefore labour to mortifie them 1 Pet. 5. 8. bee sober and watch c. that is if there bee any excesse in any affection if you keepe them not in Satan will enter therefore be so ber and watch for if yee admit any distemper he will enter The fourth reason is because affections are the first petitioners of evill though they doe not devise it yet they set the understanding on worke now he that is onely a worker of ill hath not his hand so deepe in the act as he that is the first mover if men are exhorted to abstaine from evill actions and evill speeches men thinke that there is some reason for it but for evill affections they see no such necessity but consider you evill affections produce evill actions evill affections communicate evill to a man as fire heats water and yet hath more heate in it selfe so affections make speeches and actions evill And therefore God judgeth by affections we indeed judge affections by actions we cannot know them perfectly yet do we judge by the same rule as farre as we can let a man have an injury done him he lookes to the affections that is to the man whether it came out of anger and malice if a man hath a good turne done him he lookes to the affections if hee sees greater good in them than in the action for in a good action the will is more than the deed the willingnesse of doing it is of a rarer ranke than the doing the thing it selfe so an evill affection is more than an evill speech or an evill action In this regard therefore labour to mortifie them because they are instigators of evill If affection be of so great a moment as you have heard then do that which is the maine scope of all take paines with your hearts to mortify them when they are unruly to bring them under if strong affections solicite us give them a peremptory deniall hearken to the Physician rather then to the disease the disease calls for one thing the Physician for another if men yeeld to the disease they kill themselves Here is the true triall of grace to doe some thing good when there is no ill to oppose it that 's a small matter but when strong lusts haile them to the contrary then to resist them this obedience is better then sacrifice In the old Law they sacrificed their sheepe and their oxen but in this obedience a man slaies himselfe this will is the best part strength of a man for when he subdues his lusts and brings them in obedience to Christ he sacrificeth the vigor of the will Man is as his affections are affections are to the soule as members are to the body crookednesse in the members hinders a mans going so crookednesse in the affections hinders the soule those that keepe Clocks if they would have them goe true then every thing must be kept in order so in affections keep them straight because they have such a hand in the will one hath an affection to filthinesse another to covetousnesse another to good fellowship according to these so are they carried and such are their actions let their affections be straight and they turne the rudder of the soule another way they cast us into another mould therefore labour to subdue them and so much the rather because they make a man not onely good but abundant in good or evill good doth prescribe to a man exactly what he shall doe but yet leaves some free-will offerings on purpose to try our love to try our affections the rule of duty is left partly to the rule of affections that we may abound in good a man may doe much in resolution but the affection maketh it acceptable Paul might have taken for his labour of the Corinthians but the fulnesse of his love would not suffer him that is God and they set him on worke Thus affections make a man abound in good it was Davids love to God that made him build a Temple to God In short affections make a man beautifull unto God and man Now if affections are so rare and yet so subject to be inordinate it is wisdome to know how they may be helped if any thing doth want meanes of helpe this doth because it is a hard thing to keepe downe unruly affections therefore we will come to lay downe some meanes to helpe you to keepe them downe The first meanes is that we labour to see the disease for no man will seeke for cure except he see the disease the sight of the disease is halfe the cure of it labor to see your inordinate affections and to be perswaded and convinced of them This is a hard thing a man doth not see his evill inclinations because those very inclinations blind his eyes and darken his understanding and cast a mist before him notwithstanding which wee must labour to doe that what we can as there are

muddy and will not alwaies continue Wherefore pitch your affections upon the true substantiall good not on vanities If wee see a man come to an Orchard full of goodly fruits and hee should onely catch at the shadow of them netling his hands and spending his labour in vaine we would account him either a foole or a mad man yet we in the cleare Sunshine of the Gospell such is our madnesse catch and seeke after shadowes with trouble of minde and sorrow of heart neglecting the substance Secondly consider that you seeke your happinesse the wrong way that is you seeke it in wordly things they are not able to helpe you because they reach not to the inward man the body is but the sheath and case our happinesse lyes not in it So in the Creatures their happinesse consists not in themselves but in something else It lyes in observing the rule which God hath appointed for them The fire observing the rule which God hath given it is sure so of water and so of all creatures animate and inanimate their happinesse consisteth in observing the rules which God hath prescribed to them The law of God is a rule that we must walke by following it as a rule wee are happy that doing well and observing the Commaundements makes us happy He that keepeth the Commandements shall live in them He that departeth from them is dead Every motion of the fish out of the water is towards death but every motion of it in the water is to life So let mans motions be towards God and then they are motions to life but let him move after outward things and it is a motion towards death and misery and therefore if you seeke this comfort from outward things you goe the wrong way to get it Thirdly consider that you make a wrong choise you seeke not that which will doe it if you seeke for this comfort in God all is in one place but if you seeke for it in the creatures you must have a multitude of them to comfort you If that they could comfort you you must have health wealth honour friends and many other things but there is one thing only will doe it if you goe the right way to get it you shall finde it onely in God Martha shee was troubled about many things when as one thing onely was necessary If you looke for comfort in earthly things you must have a thousand things to help to it But godlines which hath the promises of this life and of the life to come doth yeeld this comfort of it selfe if you seeke it in it It is a great advantage for us to have all the comforts in one thing Godlinesse onely hath all these comforts therefore seeke them in it Fourthly consider that that comfort and happinesse which you have from the creature is but a dependant felicity and it is so much the worse because it depends on the creature which is mutable and uncertaine how much better is it to depend on God in whom is no shadow of variety or change Every creature is weaker by how much it hath dependance on another and so are you weaker by how much the more you depend on outward things If you depend on friends they may change their affections and become your enemies or death may take them away and then your happinesse is gone If you depend on riches Pro. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eye on that which is not for riches certainely make themselves wings and flye away as an Eagle towards heaven and then your happines is gone but if you seeke for and place your happinesse in God in whom is no change or alteration then it is perpetuall A dependencie on things that are mutable will yeeld no comfort because GOD will have all to depend on himselfe Therefore the 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ of God is made unto us wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that no flesh might rejoyce in it selse but that he that glorieth might glory in the Lord for this end God hath convayed Christ unto us that hee might make us beleeve that wee fare not the better for any Creature and that so wee might rejoyce onely in the Lord Therefore he hath made Christ redemption from all evill that hee might furnish us with all good Christ hath redeemed us from hell and miserie and from want of good things seeke not then a dependencie on the Creature thinke not that it will better you and this will make you to depend on Christ Therefore for these regards correct your opinion of worldly and outward things and judge of them with righteous judgement depend onely on God if you will have him to be your portion as he was the Levites refuse him not as the Israelites did depend upon him in good earnest A little you say with Gods blessing will doe much Labour not therefore neither toyle you to leave great portions to your children the common pretence that men have for their covetousnesse for though you leave them never so much if Gods blessing be not on it it is nothing it can yeeld them no comfort yea many times it is an occasion of their hurt If then Gods blessing be all in all if that onely can administer comfort and make us happy I would aske you this question What if you did leave your children onely Gods blessing would it not be sufficient though you left them little or nothing else you thinke not so and yet whatsoever you can leave them without Gods blessing is nothing worth Preachers labour much in this to draw you from worldly things and all to little purpose It must be Gods teaching that perswades within which must effect it you must therefore take paines with your hearts the generality of the disease shewes that it is hard to be cured labour therefore to finde out the deceites which hinder your practise of these things which are these One deceit that deceives them is that they are ready to say that those things are the blessings of God Why should we not rejoyce in them so afflictions they are crosses and therefore grieve for them If these then did not adde to our blessednesse why count wee them blessings and account poverty as a crosse To this I answere that if you take them as blessings you may rejoyce in them as the instruments by which God doth you good blessings are relative words they have reference unto God if you consider them without reference to him they cease to bee blessings Therefore if you consider them meerely as blessings you may rejoyce in them Now yee receive them as blessings First if you depend upon God for the disposing continuing and want of them if you thinke you shall enjoy them no longer then God will If you thinke thus with your selves wee have wives children friends and riches 't is true we haue them but yet they shal not cōtinue with us an houre or minute longer then